Polyphenolic profile and biological activity of Salvia splendens leaves

Phytochemical Content and Antidiabetic Properties of Most Commonly Used Antidiabetic Medicinal Plants of Kenya

Traditional medicinal plants have been used for decades in folk medicines in the treatment and management of several ailments and diseases including diabetes, pain, ulcers, cancers, and wounds, among others. This study focused on the phytochemical and antidiabetic activity of the commonly used antidiabetic medicinal species in Kenya. Phytochemical profiling of these species revealed flavonoids and terpenoids as the major chemical classes reported which have been linked with strong biological activities against the aforementioned diseases, among others. However, out of the selected twenty-two species, many of the natural product isolation studies have focused on only a few species, as highlighted in the study. All of the examined crude extracts from thirteen antidiabetic species demonstrated strong antidiabetic activities by inhibiting α-glucosidase and α-amylase among other mechanisms, while nine are yet to be evaluated for their antidiabetic activities. Isolated compounds S-Methylcysteine sulfoxide, quercetin, alliuocide G, 2-(3,4-Dihydroxybenzoyl)-2,4,6-trihydroxy-3 (2H)-benzofuranone, Luteolin-7-O-D-glucopyranoside, quercetin, 1,3,11α-Trihydroxy-9-(3,5,7-trihydroxy-4H-1-benzopyran-7-on-2-yl)-5α-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl)-5,6,11-hexahydro-5,6,11-trioxanaphthacene-12-one and [1,3,11α-Trihydroxy-9-(3,5,7-trihydroxy-4H-1-benzopyran-7-on-2-yl)-5α-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl)-5,6,11-hexahydro-5,6,11-trioxanaphthacene-12-one]-4'-O-D-gluco-pyranoside from Allium cepa have been found to exhibit significant antidiabetic activities. With the huge number of adults living with diabetes in Kenya and the available treatment methods being expensive yet not so effective, this study highlights alternative remedies by documenting the commonly used antidiabetic medicinal plants. Further, the study supports the antidiabetic use of these plants with the existing pharmacological profiles and highlights research study gaps. Therefore, it is urgent to conduct natural products isolation work on the selected antidiabetic species commonly used in Kenya and evaluate their antidiabetic activities, both in vitro and in vivo, to validate their antidiabetic use and come up with new antidiabetic drugs.

Application of Rosmarinic Acid with Its Derivatives in the Treatment of Microbial Pathogens

The emergence of the antimicrobial resistance phenomena on and the harmful consequences of the use of antibiotics motivate the necessity of innovative antimicrobial therapies, while natural substances are considered a promising alternative. Rosmarin is an original plant compound listed among the hydroxycinnamic acids. This substance has been widely used to fight microbial pathology and chronic infections from microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and viruses. Also, various derivatives of rosmarinic acid, such as the propyl ester of rosmarinic acid, rosmarinic acid methyl ester or the hexyl ester of rosmarinic acid, have been synthesized chemically, which have been isolated as natural antimicrobial agents. Rosmarinic acid and its derivatives were combined with antibiotics to obtain a synergistic effect. This review reports on the antimicrobial effects of rosmarinic acid and its associated derivatives, both in their free form and in combination with other microbial pathogens, and mechanisms of action.

A Comprehensive Review of Rosmarinic Acid: From Phytochemistry to Pharmacology and Its New Insight

Polyphenolic acids are the widely occurring natural products in almost each herbal plant, among which rosmarinic acid (RA, C18H16O8) is well-known, and is present in over 160 species belonging to many families, especially the Lamiaceae. Aside from this herbal ingredient, dozens of its natural derivatives have also been isolated and characterized from many natural plants. In recent years, with the increasing focus on the natural products as alternative treatments, a large number of pharmacological studies have been carried out to demonstrate the various biological activities of RA such as anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, anti-diabetes, anti-virus, anti-tumor, neuroprotection, hepatoprotection, etc. In addition, investigations concerning its biosynthesis, extraction, analysis, clinical applications, and pharmacokinetics have also been performed. Although many achievements have been made in various research aspects, there still exist some problems or issues to be answered, especially its toxicity and bioavailability. Thus, we hope that in the case of natural products, the present review can not only provide a comprehensive understanding on RA covering its miscellaneous research fields, but also highlight some of the present issues and future perspectives worth investigating later, in order to help us utilize this polyphenolic acid more efficiently, widely, and safely.

Protective Effect of Ethyl Rosmarinate against Ulcerative Colitis in Mice Based on Untargeted Metabolomics

Aiming at assessing the therapeutic effect of ethyl rosmarinate (ER) on ulcerative colitis (UC), the following activities were performed in vitro and in vivo in the present study. Firstly, a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cell inflammation model was established to determine the level of inflammatory factors. Then, a UC mice model induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) was established to further investigate the effects of ER on symptoms, inflammatory factors and colon histopathology. Finally, serum and colon metabolomics studies were performed to identify the biomarkers and metabolisms closely related to the protective effect of ER on UC. The results showed that after ER intervention, the levels of inflammatory factors (NO, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) and key enzyme (MPO) in cell supernatant, serum or colon were significantly decreased, and the disease activity index and colon tissue damage in mice were also effectively improved or restored. In addition, 28 biomarkers and 6 metabolisms were found to be re-regulated by ER in the UC model mice. Therefore, it could be concluded that ER could effectively ameliorate the progression of UC and could be used as a new natural agent for the treatment of UC.

Chemical Components of the Fruits of Morus nigra Linn.: Methyl Caffeate as a Potential Anticancer Agent by Targeting 3-Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase

Two previously undescribed compounds, moranigrine A (1) and morusamine (2), along with 18 known compounds were isolated from the fruits of Morus nigra Linn. and structurally characterized using spectroscopic data and electronic circular dichroism analyses. All isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on the 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) enzyme, which catalyzes the first committed step for the synthesis of glucose-derived serine and is associated with many kinds of cancers. Among these compounds, methyl caffeate (3) exhibited effective inhibition against PHGDH and was directly bound to PHGDH based on the microscale thermophoresis method and the cellular thermal shift assay. Further biochemical assays revealed that 3 was a noncompetitive inhibitor with respect to the substrate of 3-phosphoglycerate and exhibited a concentration-dependent inhibition. Molecular docking demonstrated that 3 coordinated in an allosteric site of PHGDH with low binding energy. Meanwhile, 3 was selectively toxic to high PHGDH-expressing cancer cell lines and could cause apoptosis of cervical cancer cells in micromolar concentrations and could obviously inhibit tumor growth in the HeLa xenograft mouse model with low toxicities. Therefore, 3 could be developed as a potential inhibitor of PHGDH for the treatment of cancers. Our present study provides information about M. nigra as a functional food or pharmaceutical supplement in the application of cancer prevention and treatment.

Extraction Processes Affect the Composition and Bioavailability of Flavones from Lamiaceae Plants: A Comprehensive Review

Lamiaceae plants are a widespread family of herbaceous plants with around 245 plant genera and nearly 22,576 species distributed in the world. Some of the most representative and widely studied Lamiaceae plants belong to the Ocimum, Origanum, Salvia, and Thymus genera. These plants are a rich source of bioactive molecules such as terpenes, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. In this sense, there is a subgroup of flavonoids classified as flavones. Flavones have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic potential; thus, efficient extraction techniques from their original plant matrixes have been developed. Currently, conventional extraction methods involving organic solvents are no longer recommended due to their environmental consequences, and new environmentally friendly techniques have been developed. Moreover, once extracted, the bioactivity of flavones is highly linked to their bioavailability, which is often neglected. This review aims to comprehensively gather recent information (2011–2021) regarding extraction techniques and their important relationship with the bioavailability of flavones from Lamiaceae plants including Salvia, Ocimum, Thymus, and Origanum.

New Insights into the Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Italian Salvia officinalis Leaf and Flower Extracts in Lipopolysaccharide and Tumor-Mediated Inflammation Models

This work aimed to investigate and compare the in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Salvia officinalis L. (sage) from Italy, with the aim of raising its current knowledge in this field. Leaves and flowers (S1–S8), harvested in two areas of Southern Italy, were extracted with methanol as a solvent by maceration or ultrasound-assisted extraction. Sage extracts, analysed by high pressure liquid chromatography-diode-array detection-electrospray ionization-quadrupole-mass spectroscopy (HPLC-DAD-ESI-Q-MS), exerted a promising antioxidant activity investigated using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), and β-carotene bleaching tests, and elicited a significant decrease in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophages. The anti-inflammatory activity was analysed in the same in vitro model. All the extracts did not affect cell viability although they showed anti-inflammatory activity, as they induced a decrease in nitrite levels that was greater than 50%, when employed at 50 µg/mL. Furthermore, they elicited a decrease in nitrite levels, as well as a decline in pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. The NF-κB transcription factor proved to be involved in the mechanisms that underlie such effects. Interestingly, sage extracts were able to interfere with the inflammatory activity induced by breast cancer cell-conditioned media (nitrite levels were significantly decreased, p < 0.05; p < 0.01), highlighting for the first time the important role of S. officinalis in controlling inflammation processes related to neoplastic progression.

Diterpenoids from Leaves of Cultivated Plectranthus ornatus

Two new diterpenoid derivatives 7α,12β,17-triacetoxy-6β,19-dihydroxy-13β,16-spirocicloabiet-8-ene-11,14-dione ( 1: ) and 6β-acetoxy-3β,7α,12α-trihydroxy-13β,16-spirocicloabiet-8-ene-11,14-dione ( 2: ) along with 11 ( 3: - 13: ) miscellaneous compounds were isolated from the leaves of Plectranthus ornatus Codd. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and gauge independent atomic orbitals ¹³C NMR calculations. The isolated compounds were screened for their effects on intestinal motility using guinea-pig ileum and duodenum and by their cytotoxicity against 4 human cancer cell lines (HCT-116, SF-295, PC-3, and HL-60). Compounds 6: and 9: were moderately cytotoxic against HL-60, whereas 6: and 13: were more active on SF-295 and HCT-116.

The role of Fe-nano particles in scarlet sage responses to heavy metals stress

Despite the stabilized ornamental markets for scarlet sage (Salvia splendens), little is known about the stress resistance of heavy metals (HMs). Therefore, a hydroponic study was conducted to determine whether the addition of Fe nanoparticles (Fe NPs) at 0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 µM in Hoagland's nutrient solution reduce the toxicity caused by 100 μM of HMs (Cd, Cu, Ni, Cr and Pb). Exposure to HMs significantly reduced relative growth rate (RGR), chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm), total antioxidant activity (TAA), total phenol content (TPC) and antioxidant power assay (FRAP), while the malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, H₂O₂ generation and electrolyte leakage (EL) significantly increased. Fe NPs improved HMs toxicity by significant reduction in MDA content, H₂O₂ generation and EL while increase in the PGR, chlorophyll content, Fv/Fm, the TAA, TPC and FRAP. Exposure to HMs caused Fe deficiency-induced chlorosis while Fe NPs reduced the negative effects of HM by preventing further reduction of leaf Fe. The results highlighted that although using Fe NPs significantly improved plant growth and motivated the plant defense mechanisms in response to HMs toxicity, it had a negative effect on the phytoremediation properties of salvia splendens by reducing the accumulation of HMs in plant organs.

Antidiabetic effect of Cordia morelosana, chemical and pharmacological studies

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE

CORDIA MORELOSANA: Standley (Boraginaceae) is commonly used in folk medicine for the treatment of diarrhoea, kidney inflammation, diabetes, lung pain, bronchitis, asthma, hoarseness, cough and fever.

AIM

Current work was conducted to develop a bio-guided isolation of antidiabetic compounds from ethanolic extract of Cordia morelosana (EECm).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The phytochemical bio-guided study was conducted by successive chromatographic techniques, and isolated compounds were characterized by 1D and 2D-NMR experiments. The in vivo antihyperglycemic and antidiabetic activities of EECm (100 mg/kg), and methyl rosmarinate (MR, 50 mg/kg) were determined on normoglycemic and diabetic murine models. Additionally, the in vitro activity was conducted to determine α-glucosidase inhibitory effect, and PPARs, GLUT4 and FATP expression on 3T3-L1 cells by RT-PCR. Acute and sub-chronic toxicological studies for EECm were conducted on rats, following the OECD guidelines (No. 420 and 407).

RESULTS

EECm promotes significant α-glucosidase inhibition (55.6%) at 1 mg/kg respect to the control. Also, EECm (100 mg/kg) showed significant antihyperglycemic effect on oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and in non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetes (NIDD) model, had antidiabetic activity (p < 0.001) compared to controls. The bio-guided isolation allowed to obtain four known compounds described as rosmarinic acid (RA), methyl rosmarinate (MR), nicotiflorine and 1-O-methyl-scyllo-inositol. On the other hand, MR showed significant antidiabetic and anthiyperglycemic activities (p < 0.05), and overexpression of PPARγ, PPARα, GLUT-4 and FATP than control. Docking studies were conducted with PPARγ and PPARα, showing interesting binding mode profile on those targets. Finally, EECm displayed a LD₅₀ > 2000 mg/kg and sub-chronic toxicological study reveals no toxic signs in animals tested compared to control.

CONCLUSION

EECm showed significant antihyperglycemic and antidiabetic actions being RA and MR the main antidiabetic metabolites.

Phytochemical Composition and Bioactive Effects of Salvia africana, Salvia officinalis 'Icterina' and Salvia mexicana Aqueous Extracts

In the present study, aqueous extracts of Salvia africana, Salvia officinalis 'Icterina' and Savia mexicana origin were screened for their phenolic composition and for antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic properties. The three aqueous extracts contained distinct phenolic compounds, with S. africana presenting the highest total levels (231.6 ± 7.5 μg/mg). Rosmarinic acid was the dominant phenolic compound in all extracts, yet that of S. africana origin was characterized by the present of yunnaneic acid isomers, which overall accounted for about 40% of total phenolics. In turn, S. officinalis 'Icterina' extract presented glycosidic forms of apigenin, luteolin and scuttelarein, and the one obtained from S. mexicana contained several simple caffeic acid derivatives. S. africana aqueous extract exhibited high antioxidant potential in four methods, namely the DPPH• (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging ability, iron-reducing power, inhibition of β-carotene bleaching and of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), for which EC50 values were equal or only 1.3-3.1 higher than those of the standard compounds. Moreover, this extract was able to lower the levels of nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages (EC50 = 47.8 ± 2.1 μg/mL). In addition, the three sage aqueous extracts showed promising cytotoxic effect towards hepatocellular HepG2, cervical HeLa, and breast carcinoma cells MCF-7. Overall this study highlights the potential of three little-exploited Salvia species, with commercial value for applications in food or pharmaceutical industries.

Biosynthesis, Chemistry, and Pharmacology of Polyphenols from Chinese Salvia Species: A Review

Salvia species find widespread application in food and pharmaceutical products owing to their large polyphenol content. The main polyphenols in Chinese Salvia species are phenolic acids and flavonoids, which exhibit anti-oxygenation, anti-ischemia-reperfusion injury, anti-thrombosis, anti-tumour, and other therapeutic effects. However, there are few peer-reviewed studies on polyphenols in Chinese Salvia species, especially flavonoids. This review is a systematic, comprehensive collation of available information on the biosynthesis, chemistry, and pharmacology of Chinese Salvia species. We believe that our study makes a significant contribution to the literature because this review provides a detailed literary resource on the currently available information on various polyphenolic components of Chinese Salvia species, including their bioactivities and structures. In addition, the study provides information that would encourage further investigation of this plant material as a natural resource with potential for a broad range of applications in various industries, such as the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Preparative isolation of antioxidative compounds from Dracocephalum heterophyllum using off-line two-dimensional reversed-phase liquid chromatography/hydrophilic interaction chromatography guided by on-line HPLC-DPPH assay

Traditional Tibetan medicine (TTM) has been valuable for the identification of new therapeutic leads. Nevertheless, reports about the chemical constituents of TTM are meager owing to the lack of suitable purification techniques. In this study, an off-line two-dimensional reversed-phase/hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (2D RP/HILIC) technique guided by on-line HPLC-DPPH has been established for the isolation of pure antioxidants from the extract of Dracocephalum heterophyllum. According to the chromatographic recognition outcome of the HPLC-DPPH system, the first-dimensional (1D) separation on the Megress C18 preparative column yielded 6 antioxidative fractions (61.4% recovery) from the ethyl acetate fraction (6.1 g). In the second-dimensional (2D) separation, a HILIC XAmide preparative column was employed. In total, 8 antioxidants were isolated from D. heterophyllum with a purity of >95%, which indicated the efficiency of the developed method to prepare antioxidative compounds with high purity from plant extracts. In addition, this method was highly efficient for the preparation of structural analogues of the antioxidative polyphenols and could be applied for the purification of structural analogues from other resources.

New Apigenin Glycoside, Polyphenolic Constituents, Anti-inflammatory and Hepatoprotective Activities of Gaillardia grandiflora and Gaillardia pulchella Aerial Parts

BACKGROUND

Gaillardia grandiflora Hort. ex Van Houte and Gaillardia pulchella Foug are flowering plants widely cultivated in Egypt for their ornamental value. Previous reports demonstrated that sesquiterpene derivatives represent the major compounds in both species. Moreover, only few flavones were identified from genus Gaillardia and few studies on the cytotoxicity of G. pulchella were found.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Investigation of the phenolic constituents of the aerial parts of both species and evaluation of their anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The 80% aqueous methanol extracts (AME) were prepared for both plants and evaluated for their biological activities. Phytochemical investigation of both extracts resulted in isolation of twelve compounds, which have been identified on the basis of ultraviolet, 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and negative ESI-MS.

RESULTS

The new 8-hydroxyapigenin 6-O-β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1'''→6'')-C-β-D-⁴C₁-glucopyranoside was isolated from G. grandiflora for the first time in nature, along with schaftoside, luteolin 6-C-β-D-⁴C₁-glucopyranoside 8-methyl ether, apigenin 6-C-β-D-⁴C₁-glucopyranoside 8-methyl ether, isoorientin, isovitexin, 6-methoxyluteolin and hispidulin, as well as vicenin-2, vitexin, luteolin and apigenin, which were isolated from G. pulchella together with 6-methoxyluteolin. Furthermore, the AME of both species were found to be nontoxic to mice and exhibited significant anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities in dose dependent manner.

CONCLUSION

Current results shed light on the phenolic constituents of G. grandiflora and G. pulchella aerial parts and the safety of the AME of both species, in addition to their significant anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities. Both plant species may be promising candidates for natural anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective drugs.

SUMMARY

Phytochemical investigation of Gaillardia grandiflora and Gaillardia pulchella 80% aqueous methanol extracts of the aerial parts led to the isolation of twelve compoundsThe new compound 8-hydroxyapigenin 6-O-β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1''''→6'')-C-β-D-4C1-glucopyranoside was isolated from G. grandiflora for the first time in natureSchaftoside, luteolin 6-C-β-D-4C1-glucopyranoside 8-methyl ether, apigenin 6-C-β-D-4C1-glucopyranoside 8-methyl ether, isoorientin, isovitexin, 6-methoxyluteolin and hispidulin were isolated from G. grandifloraVicenin-2, vitexin, luteolin, apigenin and 6-methoxyluteolin were isolated from G. pulchellaThe extracts of both species were nontoxic to mice up to 5 g/kg body weightBoth extracts exhibited significant anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities in dose dependent manner Abbreviations used: ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; ALT: Alanine aminotransferase; AME: The 80% aqueous methanol extract of G. grandiflora or G. pulchella aerial parts; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; br d: Broad doublet; Comp-PC: Comparative paper chromatography; d: Doublet; 2D-PC: Two-dimensional paper chromatography; DMSO-d6: Deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide; G.: Gaillardia; GPx: Glutathione peroxidase; GRd: Glutathione reductase; GSH: glutathione; GST: Glutathione-S-transferase; J: Nuclear spin-spin coupling constant; m: Multiplet; [M-H]-: Molecular ion peak; MDA: Malondialdehyde; m/z: Mass/charge ratio; NO: Nitric oxide; p: Probability; PC: Paper chromatography; Rf: Retention flow; rpm: Rotation per minute; s: Singlet; SDE: The ethanol extract of Scoparia dulcis; SE: Standard error; SOD: Superoxide dismutase; TMS: Tetramethylsilane; λmax: Maximum fluorescence emission wavelength.

α-Glucosidase Inhibitors from Salvia circinata

A dried infusion prepared from the aerial parts of Salvia circinata did not provoke acute toxicity in mice (LD₅₀ > 5 g/kg). This infusion showed poor hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic effects (100-570 mg/kg) when tested in normal and hyperglycemic mice using acute and oral glucose tolerance tests, respectively. However, this infusion possessed antihyperglycemic action in vivo during an oral sucrose tolerance test (31.6-316 mg/kg), suggesting the presence of α-glucosidase inhibitors in S. circinata. Fractionation of a nonpolar extract of the aerial parts of the plant yielded a new biflavone (1) and four new neoclerodane diterpenoid glucosides (2-5) along with the known compounds amarisolide (6), pedalitin (7), apigenin-7-O-β-d-glucoside (8), and the flavone 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-5,6-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-4H-chromen-4-one (9). Compounds 1 and 6-9 were active against mammalian α-glucosidases; 6 and 7 were also active against a recombinant α-glucosidase from Ruminococcus obeum and reduced significantly the postprandial peak during an oral sucrose tolerance test in healthy mice, consistent with their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Molecular docking and dynamic studies revealed that compounds 6 and 7 might bind to α-glucosidases at the catalytic center of the enzyme.

Phytochemical Profiling of Flavonoids, Phenolic Acids, Terpenoids, and Volatile Fraction of a Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) Extract

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the phytochemical profile of a proprietary rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) extract rich in carnosic acid. A characterization of the (poly)phenolic and volatile fractions of the extract was carried out using mass spectrometric techniques. The (poly)phenolic composition was assessed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MSⁿ) and a total of 57 compounds were tentatively identified and quantified, 14 of these being detected in rosemary extract for the first time. The rosemary extract contained 24 flavonoids (mainly flavones, although flavonols and flavanones were also detected), 5 phenolic acids, 24 diterpenoids (carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmanol derivatives), 1 triterpenoid (betulinic acid), and 3 lignans (medioresinol derivatives). Carnosic acid was the predominant phenolic compound. The volatile profile of the rosemary extract was evaluated by head space solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) linked to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Sixty-three volatile molecules (mainly terpenes, alcohols, esters, aldehydes, and ketones) were identified. This characterization extends the current knowledge on the phytochemistry of Rosmarinus officinalis and is, to our knowledge, the broadest profiling of its secondary metabolites to date. It can assist in the authentication of rosemary extracts or rosemary-containing products or in testing its bioactivity. Moreover, this methodological approach could be applied to the study of other plant-based food ingredients.

NMR spectroscopic method for the assignment of 3,5-dioxygenated aromatic rings in natural products

In recent years, certain "new" naturally occurring compounds (1-28) with 3,5-dioxygenated aromatic rings have been reported. A comparison of the NMR data of these compounds with the data of four model compounds (A-D) indicated that the structures of these "new" compounds were erroneous. The reason for the incorrect elucidation of the structures of 1-28 was attributed to "deceptively simple" (1)H NMR spectra, which displayed two broad singlets with integrations of 1:2 for H-2 and H-5, H-6, respectively. To expose the misleading results from the spectra, serial (1)H NMR experiments on compounds A-D were performed using various deuterated solvents and temperatures. The results revealed separated proton signals for the ABX system in certain deuterated solvents. Additionally, the characteristic differences between 3,4- and 3,5-dioxygenated aromatic rings in their (13)C NMR spectra are summarized based on our experiment and data reported. This approach is useful for analyzing the patterns of dioxygenated aromatic rings in natural products, especially when "deceptively simple" (1)H NMR spectra are displayed.

Anti-Inflammatory and Antihyperalgesic Activities of Ethanolic Extract and Fruticulin A from Salvia lachnostachys Leaves in Mice

The anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of the ethanolic extract (SLEE) and fruticulin A from the leaves of Salvia lachnostachys were evaluated in mice, using experimental models of inflammation (paw oedema and pleurisy induced by carrageenan injection) and hyperalgesia (electronic Von Frey). Oral administration of SLEE (30, 100, and 300 mg/kg) and fruticulin A (0.3 and 3.0 mg/kg) decreased the total leucocytes number in pleural lavage, protein extravasation, and paw oedema. SLEE (100 mg/kg) and fruticulin A (3 mg/kg) also exhibited antihyperalgesic activity in carrageenan induced mechanical hyperalgesia. In addition, fruticulin A (3 mg/kg) prevented mechanical hyperalgesia, inhibiting TNF but not L-DOPA-induced mechanical hyperalgesia. In conclusion, SLEE and fruticulin A display anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Therefore, fruticulin A is at least partially responsible for the activity observed in the ethanolic extract of Salvia lachnostachys.